Chapter 9
“THIS IS A WASTE OF time, Trick.”
Satrine waited at the gates of the Callwood Estate in East Maradaine, while Kellman was still getting out of the wagon. Kellman was dragging his heels even more today than most days, which was saying something. “You have a few too many beers last night with that clerk from the Protector’s Office?”
“Nothing like that,” he said, a slight blush creeping to his cheeks. “Just . . . we got a few cases on our desk, so why are you fired up on this one?”
“Instinct,” she said.
“That’s some Minox sewage,” he said. “Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s fine.” She rang the gate bell. “But you’ve got to admit, this smells hinky. Break in at a rich manor house, and they call in the Constabulary because they want the thief found and caught, but no one is talking about what was taken? Doesn’t that stoke a little fire in you?”
“It’s odd, yeah,” Kellman said.
“So, we’ll do a show about checking out the scene. Looking for boot prints, all that.”
A servant was coming up the lane to open the gate. “Call in Leppin and his crew?”
“That might be more show than we need. We won’t crack this with boot prints.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Follow along,” she said quickly as the servant reached them.
The servant—a young woman in a housemaid uniform—opened the gate. “Terribly sorry for making you wait,” she said, in an accent that sounded back country, from a village outside Solindell in the northern part of the Sharain. “You’ve come back here to investigate the robbery?”
Satrine matched the accent. “Right on that, miss. Hoped to save everyone here some trouble, we were, but I’m fearful we’re going to have to turn this place right upside down.” She walked down the lane to the house, patting the girl on the arm. “I know it’s frightful business, and I’m proper sorry about the upset it’ll all be.”
“If that’s what needs be,” the girl said, her darting eyes betraying her confidence. “I’m sure his lordship will be very grateful for your service.”
“It’s what we do,” Kellman said, raising an eyebrow at Satrine.
“The real shame of it is, we’ve got so little right now,” Satrine said. “But you know how these things go.”
“I have no idea how these things go,” the maid said.
“Oh, of course,” Satrine said. “Because you’re a good and decent girl, aren’t ya? I bet everyone in here loves you, and you are so fond of each of them.”
“We—” Her voice faltered a bit. “We are proud to serve the Callwood family as best we can. Everyone here.”
“And Lord Callwood loves all of you as well, I’m certain. I know how a noble soul like him knows his duty is to look out for the people below him.”
“It’ll kill him to have to fire someone,” Kellman said.
“Fire, what?” the maid asked.
“I mean, we have to do this formal-like,” Satrine said. “Sit with his lordship, and then interview each person on the staff with him. Get down to the bottom of things.”
“Each person?” the maid asked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, and I know how frightful this sounds, but we’re going to need to get to the bottom of things, and that means . . .” She paused for dramatic effect, giving a glance to Kellman. “He’s going to ask some indelicate questions, miss. That’s just the nature of it. We’re going to have to figure where everyone was at each hour of the night in question. Where they were, who they were with, what they might have heard. Secrets will come out, and his lordship will have to take steps.”
“Secrets?” the maid asked. They were now at the back door to the kitchen. “I mean, these are goodly people who work here. None of them—” Her voice cracked for a moment. “None of them deserve to have their personal matters turned upside down.”
“I agree with you,” Satrine said. “I mean, I would hate if someone lost their position over some . . . personal matter that isn’t related to this investigation. But of course, as these things go, that’s sure to happen.”
The young woman’s face flushed, and her hand reached out to Satrine’s arm, quivering ever so slightly. “Perhaps—” she said, and then started again with her voice a bit more under control. “Perhaps you could have a discreet word with Mister Jescint in the stables before you begin all that. That might . . . it might . . . illuminate your investigation.”
“Perhaps we should,” Satrine said. She pointed behind the house. “Are the stables over there?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the maid said. “Shall I let the head of staff know you are here?”
“Please,” Satrine said. “But we’ll have that discreet word first.”
“Very good,” the maid said, and went inside.
Kellman let out a low whistle. “You are an evil woman. How did you know she knew something?”
“I really didn’t,” Satrine said. “But everyone has secrets they don’t want getting out, and everyone is afraid to lose their job. A little pressure, and some time is saved.” She led the way to the stables.
“So, is Jescint our thief?” he asked.
“Doubt it,” Satrine said. “If anything, he was either bribed or blackmailed to facilitate something for the real thieves.”
“Like leave a back gate unlocked for them?” Kellman asked. He clucked his tongue uncomfortably. “Yeah, that tracks.”
“Let’s find out,” she said, raising her hand to knock on the stable door.
“One thing,” Kellman said before she knocked. “Let’s give him a chance to be clean with us, and if he does, otherwise leave him be. He’s the small fish.”
“Why, Kellman,” she said gently. “You’re kinder than you let on.”
“He’s a working guy, like us,” Kellman said quietly. “Let’s give him a chance.”
“Sure,” she said. “Let’s see where this takes us.”
Minox was definitely out of his element, and far from his comfort. He stood outside the Blue Hand Chapterhouse—abandoned, by all outside appearances—ready to commit what was definitively an act of trespass, in the company of a young woman—a stranger—with
